A golf club has many design features such as the size, weight, and shape of the head, and the rigidity, straightness, length and alignment of the shaft. Golfers often switch golf clubs, in particular the putter, to better suit their physical characteristics or swing technique. While many commercial brands of standard golf clubs are available having different design characteristics, changing golf clubs frequently is expensive.
Some adjustable golf clubs are known. However, under current United States Golf Association (U.S.G.A.) Rule 4-1a(i), only putters may be designed to be adjustable, except for weight, provided that all configurations of adjustment conform with the Rules. Phillips U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,295 and Jarvis U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,523 each appear to disclose a golf putter with a shaft which may be adjusted about a pivot to change the "heel-to-toe" alignment and/or the "line-of-play" alignment of the shaft. As used herein, the "heel-to-toe" alignment and "line-of-play" alignment are defined consistent with the U.S.G.A. Rules of Golf 1996, Appendix II, rule 4.1b, Figs. II and III, as follows: "heel-to-toe" alignment is the projection of the straight part of the shaft on to the vertical plane through the toe and heel; "line-of-play" alignment is the projection of the straight part of the shaft on to the vertical plane along the intended line of play.
Under U.S.G.A. rule 4.1b, the "heel-to-toe" alignment must be at least 10 degrees from vertical and the "line-of-play" alignment must be no greater than 20 degrees from vertical in either direction. Since the above-described adjustable putters may be adjusted into configurations of alignment different than those proscribed in U.S.G.A. rule 4.1b, such known adjustable putters do not conform with U.S.G.A. rules and are therefore illegal in U.S.G.A. sponsored competition. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a putter having a shaft alignment which may be adjusted only within the ranges proscribed by the U.S.G.A. rules.
Further, no known adjustable golf putters provide both shaft alignment adjustment and adjustment or movement of the connection point between the shaft and the club head along the heel-to-toe axis. Movement of the connection point between the shaft and the club head along the heel-to-toe axis adjusts the "balance" of the club. Therefore, it would also be desirable to provide a putter having "alignment" as well as "balance" adjustment.
Additionally, under U.S.G.A. Rules 4-1a(i) and (ii), a putter may be adjustable provided that the adjustment cannot be readily made and that all adjustable parts are firmly fixed and there is no reasonable likelihood of them working loose during a round. Therefore, it would also be desirable to provide a putter having the aforementioned adjustability but which also complies with all U.S.G.A. rules relating the design of clubs.